Suggested Books

PARTNERS

Devil’s Footprints: Who Descended the Side of an Erupting Volcano, Leaving an Ancient Trail Behind?

Descending the side of the Roccamonfina Volcano in northern Italy, sets of humanoid footprints had long been considered the imprint of the Devil, for the footprints were most certainly made when the slope of the volcano was molten. And who but the Devil could walk on flowing lava without burning his feet? Since the ancient footprints’ discovery in the late 18 th century, the local people assumed that the Ciampate del Diavolo (Devil’s Footprints) were evidence of the demon coming out of hell through the crater of the volcano and joining mankind on Earth. This theory held for over two centuries until 2002, when two amateur archaeologists brought the trail to the attention of the world.

The site, located between the villages of Tuoro/Foresta and Piccilli in Campania, Italy, consists of three sets of fossilized footprints and a few scattered handprints. Those who did not believe them to be the mark of the Devil thought that they were ancient animal tracks. It was not until researchers from the University of Padua examined the prints that they were revealed to have a human origin. Moreover, it is believed that the prints were made sometime between 385,000 and 325,000 years ago. This rendered the Devil’s Footprints the oldest known human prints, a title the tracks held until the discovery of the English Happisburgh Prints in 2013, which date back around 800,000 years.

Footprints of ancient humans are rarely so well preserved in an open environment. Experts believe that these tracks were impressed into a volcanic pyroclastic flow- typically consisting of ash, pumice, and rock fragments - and were then covered with volcanic ash. A paper published by the Univeristy of Padua team states, “Stratigraphical studies demonstrated that the sediments are pyroclastic density current deposits, results of multiple collapses of a Sub-Plinian eruptive column of Roccamonfina volcano…the trampled surface was covered with another pyroclastic flow” (Santello, 2008). It was not until the late 18 th/ early 19 th century that erosion had sufficiently worn aware the volcanic layers to reveal the prints.

Of the many remarkable features of the Devil’s Footprints, one of the most striking is the occasional handprint found alongside them on the cliff face of the volcano. This suggests that the tracks were made by hominids that walked upright but needed to steady themselves as they made the perilous descent down the steep slope. This theory is reinforced by evidence that suggests the track makers carefully chose their paths down the mountainside. The first set of tracks, consisting of 27 footprints, forms the shape of a “Z”, suggesting the walker adopted the switchback technique of going downhill. The second and third set of tracks, consisting of 19 and 10 tracks respectively, go down the slope in relatively straight lines. All the tracks were made by walking, not running.

“These tracks give us unique insight into the activities of some of the earliest known Europeans,” said Paolo Mietto from the University of Padua. “No previous records of prelate Pleistocene tracks are known that show associated hand prints, nor are there any such striking examples of deliberate efforts to negotiate steep surfaces.”

The researchers believe that the makers of the tracks were fully bipedal (two-footed) hominids with a freestanding gait (meaning they only needed to use their arms for support or to regain balance). “These tracks were made by pre-sapien species, possibly a late European Homo Erectus or Homo Heidelbergensis ” said Mietto, mentioning a Neanderthal forerunner. The footprints are approximately 8 inches (20cm) long and 4 inches (10cm) wide. The average stride is about 4 feet (1.2 m) and the average space between the two feet is about two feet (0.6m). Based on this information, the experts can conclude that the print makers were only about 5 feet (1.5m) tall.

Model of the head and shoulders of an adult male Homo heidelbergensis on display in the Hall of Human Origins in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. ( public domain )

Today, we may never know what people were doing up on the volcano. Given that all the tracks lead in the same direction- away from the volcano’s crater – a widely held theory posits that the hominids were descending the volcano to escape the eruption. “During the repose period between an eruptive event and the following one of the same volcanic series, meteoric precipitations occurred, saturating the surface. Then numerous hominids walked over the plastic and relatively cold surface, leaving the traces of their passage” (Santello, 2008).

In other words, “It is reasonable to infer that these humans actually witnessed the eruption,” said Mietto.

While the Devil’s Footprints are the oldest preserved footprints of the Homo genus, they are not the oldest hominid footprints; that honor belongs to the famed Laetoli footsteps in Tanzania, tracks left 3.5 million years ago by the human ancestor Australopithecus afarensis .

Top image: Ciampate del Diavolo, otherwise known as the Devil’s Footprints ( public domain )

I'm confused. Are they suggesting these hominids came down the slope of the volcanoe during a lull in the eruption? Because that kinda implies they were hanging out up high on the mountain while the eruption was in full swing?? Correct me if I'm wrong but that sounds like certain death. They should have left hominid-shaped pockets buried in the stone like what was found at Pompeii, not tracks of footprints.

It is weird that the tracks only descend. But that could be misleading; there could very well be ascending tracks that are simply buried a little deeper(since they were made earlier and this is a quickly changing landscape), or perhaps the ascent was made in an area less conducive to leaving tracks.

Even assuming this, it begs the question, who climbs a freaking erupting volcanoe??!?

I guess that's why locals called them the "devil's" footprints, which implies a supernatural origin as mere mortals would likely perish in such a situation. Moreover, the fact that the footprints only come out/down implies they emerged from the volcano during an eruption - certainly something a human/hominid could not do. As for who climbs an erupting volcano? A curious and brave being? Definitely human traits.

True, but in this case, curious and brave means dead. Climbing a volcano with an active eruption column could possibly be done without dying(though it seems extremely unlikely, that doesn't mean it couldn't happen). But if those prints are in pyroclastic deposit material, the person who left them would have had to be up on the mountain during the pyroclastic flow event that dropped the material. And isn't a pyroclastic flow caused by the collapse of the eruption column? I don't see how that is survivable by someone up on the mountainside.

The span between the prints indicates that the individuals were walking instead of running, which indicates that they perceived no imminent danger. This tells us that they were not there during any kind of life threatening event during their descent.

So what were they doing up there? I would offer these possibilities:
1) They went up there in a show of bravery, ritualistic (as in some rite of passage) or impomptu ("Hey, ladies, watch how macho we are going up to bravely face the Maw That Bakes Mortal Flesh to Medium-Rare!")
2) They went up there to sacrifice something or someone to the volcano, a practice well-documented by historians and anthropologists to recent times across the world).
3) Something was up there they wanted badly enough to risk life and limb. I am unsure of what that might have been, but volcanic glass or red-hot, glowing rocks come to mind.

One way or another, the very good question about "Who climbs an active volcano?" has a relatively obvious answer; to wit. "A moron. THAT'S who climbs an active volcano."

Western society has a rather specific view of what a good childhood should be like; protecting, sheltering and legislating to ensure compliance with it. However, perceptions of childhood vary greatly...

Viral Articles

The swastika is a symbol that was used in the 20th century by of one of the most hated men ever to have lived, a symbol that now represents the slaughter of millions of people and one of the most destructive wars on Earth.

The Norimitsu Odachi is a huge sword from Japan. It is so large, in fact, that it was said to have been wielded by a giant. Apart from the basic knowledge of it having been forged in the 15th century AD, measuring 3.77 meters (12.37 ft.) in length, and weighing as much as 14.5 kg (31.97 lbs.), this impressive sword is shrouded in mystery.

Controversy surrounds the knowledge the Portuguese had about Brazil before they entered into the Treaty of Tordesillas. The Treaty of Tordesillas, signed in 1494, was a treaty between Castile (Spain...

Top New Stories

Sayyida al-Hurra was a notorious female pirate who lived between the 15th and 16th centuries. She was active in the western part of Mediterranean, and frequently targeted the ships of Portuguese and Spanish traders. In addition to being a pirate,

Myths & Legends

The swastika is a symbol that was used in the 20th century by of one of the most hated men ever to have lived, a symbol that now represents the slaughter of millions of people and one of the most destructive wars on Earth.

Human Origins

Sumer, or the ‘land of civilized kings’, flourished in Mesopotamia, now modern-day Iraq, around 4500 BC. Sumerians created an advanced civilization with its own system of elaborate language and writing, architecture and arts, astronomy and mathematics.

Ancient Technology

The Norimitsu Odachi is a huge sword from Japan. It is so large, in fact, that it was said to have been wielded by a giant. Apart from the basic knowledge of it having been forged in the 15th century AD, measuring 3.77 meters (12.37 ft.) in length, and weighing as much as 14.5 kg (31.97 lbs.), this impressive sword is shrouded in mystery.

Ancient Places

Controversy surrounds the knowledge the Portuguese had about Brazil before they entered into the Treaty of Tordesillas. The Treaty of Tordesillas, signed in 1494, was a treaty between Castile (Spain...

Our Mission

At Ancient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. And while some people may seem content with the story as it stands, our view is that there exists countless mysteries, scientific anomalies and surprising artifacts that have yet to be discovered and explained.

The goal of Ancient Origins is to highlight recent archaeological discoveries, peer-reviewed academic research and evidence, as well as offering alternative viewpoints and explanations of science, archaeology, mythology, religion and history around the globe.

We’re the only Pop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives.

By bringing together top experts and authors, this archaeology website explores lost civilizations, examines sacred writings, tours ancient places, investigates ancient discoveries and questions mysterious happenings. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings.